ORDER

Anseriformes (waterfowl)

FAMILY

Anatidae (ducks, geese and swans)

HABITAT AND RANGE

Mandarins prefer to live in woodlands near water with many trees. They use tree hollows for nesting and shelter. They can also be found in mountainous areas with streams, marshes and forests available. Mandarin ducks range throughout southeast Russia, northeast China, Japan and Siberia. A small population exists in England due to the release of captive bred ducks.

IDENTIFICATION

In full plumage, the male has a pair of "sail" feathers that are raised vertically above the back, a crest of orange and cream feathers, and a broad white eye-stripe that is bounded above and below by darker feathers. The female is duller in color and has an overall grey appearance marked by a curving white stripe behind the eye and a series of white blotches on the under parts. In flight, both sexes display a bluish-green iridescent speculum.

DIET

Mandarin ducks eat seeds, acorns, grain, aquatic plants, insects, snails and sometimes small snakes, frogs, mollusks and fish. Their diet is seasonally dependant.

REPRODUCTION AND LIFESPAN

Mandarin courtship display is very impressive and includes mock-drinking and shaking. Pairs are formed at the beginning of the winter and may continue for many seasons. Although the female chooses the exact nesting site, the male accompanies the female on nest searches. Nests are always in a hole in a tree and can be up to thirty feet from the ground. In preparation for egg laying, the female lines the nest is with down. Clutch sizes range from nine to twelve white oval eggs that are laid at daily intervals. Incubation is solely performed by the female and last between 28 and 30 days. When all the eggs are hatched (they hatch within a few hours of each other), the mother calls to the chicks from the ground. Each chick then crawls out of the hole and launches itself into a free fall. Amazingly, all the chicks land unhurt and are en route to the nearest feeding ground. Once the chicks are able to fly (after 40-45 days), they leave to join a new flock.

NOTES

Mandarin ducks, like most other ducks, are the best examples for sexual dimorphism. The male in most duck species is usually very vibrantly colored to attract mates and to draw predators away from their young. Females are drabber in color to be able to hide better and take care of their young.